This Machine Will Keep You From Buying Plant-Based Milks Forever

The Recipes

Conveniently, the Nutr comes with a recipe book, and the suggested formula for each milk is simple: Add one scoop (a scoop and a strainer are included with the machine) of your preferred nut, grain, seed, or even matcha—no pre-soak necessary. Then, add water to the minimum or maximum line, depending on how creamy you want the milk to be.

The recipe book recommends 2 to 4 tablespoons of nut, grain, or seed per 1 to 1.5 cups of water (or 1/2 cup to make a creamer). A pinch of salt is also recommended, and a tablespoon of your choice of sweetener (honey, agave, maple syrup) is optional. Some of the recipes suggest adding 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Operation

The machine couldn’t be easier to use, as it’s operated with one button that allows you to choose amongst the different settings. You can pick your preferred temperature: room temperature, warm, and hot. (Room temperature, good for oat milk, takes about two minutes to cycle through; warm, for almond, walnut, cashew, hemp, and more, takes about five; and hot, reaching 212 degrees for soy and rice, finishes in 15 to 20.) It even has keep-warm, delayed-start, boil-water, and self-clean functions.

The Milks

Almond Milk

My journey with the Nutr began with almonds. I chose raw, skin-on on almonds and followed the recipe in the book that came with the machine. I made the mistake of trying it first thing in the morning and frightened my husband, who was still in bed. Boy, was it loud. Not only did the nut grinding rival the neighborhood construction, but the intermittent grinding kept my poor husband from being able to fall back asleep.

The almond milk itself was nuttier and more flavorful than anything I could find pre-packaged from a store. However, the recipe made the milk much too sweet for me. I tried it again with just the almonds, water, and the tiniest amount of salt. The simplicity and nuttiness of the almonds shined through. The only issue was that it was a little gritty. I could have strained the bits of almond that didn’t grind down, but it seemed like a waste to me. So, I just ran it through another cycle, and that did the trick.

I tried the almond milk again with some blanched almonds that did not have any skin. The result was a smoother milk, but it was a little less nutty in flavor. Once refrigerated, the almond milk separated with the ground nuts settling at the bottom. However, with just a little shake, the milk was as delicious as the day prior.

Oat Milk

Since oat milk is my milk of choice for iced lattes, I tried that next. I decided to make the “creamer” version of the recipe and added 4 tablespoons of dried quick oats to 1/2 cup of water. The oat creamer was a success. I did not add any salt, sweetener, nor anything else, since I prefer simplicity in my beverages. The oat milk was creamy, smooth, and blended all the way through in just a few minutes.

Cashew Milk

Next, I decided to try a softer nut: cashews. I used 2 tablespoons of roasted, lightly salted cashews with 1 cup of water at room temperature. Since the cashews were softer than the almonds, the machine was decidedly quieter and the resulting milk was smoother. However, there were a few little bits left. I ran the machine for one more cycle instead of straining it. The result was so smooth and delicious that cashew milk has now become my favorite.

Rice and Soy Milk

Both rice and soy milks had to be made in the hot setting, since both milks require cooking to be consumed safely. The soy milk took about 20 minutes, and it was warm and silky, reminiscent of the milk I used to get fresh from Asian restaurants.

The rice milk, however, was not as successful. The heat made the rice cook and get sticky, adhering to the bottom of the machine and making it difficult to clean.

Other Milks, Smoothies, and More

Admittedly, I went a little crazy and tried making milk from almost everything I had in the pantry. I made milk from different nuts, including peanuts and macadamias. I used sesame, pumpkin, and sunflower seeds. I even tried shredded coconut and matcha. Since the Nutr is like a mini blender, it was nice to be able to make my matcha latte with fresh oats. I could also make a smoothie by just adding all of the ingredients and running the machine at room temperature mode.

Cleaning

The Nutr isn’t dishwasher-safe, but that’s OK because it has a self-cleaning mode. All you have to do is put warm water and soap in the maker and run it for about 90 seconds.

The Price

At around $170, the Nutr is an investment. That said, the brand took the average price of store-bought plant milks and found that with this maker, you would be saving about $268 on oat milk, $312 on cashew milk, or $411 on almond milk annually compared to if you were to purchase one half-gallon from the store per week. Plus, with a maker, you’re no longer contributing to cartons ending up at the landfill, and that’s priceless.

Final Thoughts

For now, the Nutr has earned its place on my kitchen counter for its versatile, money-saving, plant-milk-making prowess. The Nutr people also told me that they’re working on making different color options; however, I’m waiting with baited breath for the larger, family-sized version, which makes up to 20 ounces per batch (600 milliliters).